I heard too many horror stories about the "all in one" telephone/internet packages and how the journey back can be very tricky, so I avoided those. My next door neighbour went for TalkTalk three months ago: it's working, but not as it should, and the screwups on the billing are amazing.
I dropped Pipex when I couldn't get the broadband to stay up for more than a day or so - hence couldn't connect back to home when away.
At the time, the top ratings on the review forums (apart from ADSLguide) were all Entanet resellers. I chose UKFSN at random from a list of three, all charging the same £19.99 a month for MaxADSL and trimmings. The changeover was flawless, and I've been totally happy ever since. I get messages from Jason about once every six weeks apologising about something that went hiccup, but that I hadn't even noticed.
There is a UK-based helpdesk (so I'm told - I've never needed to call it, unlike Pipex's helpless Indian one).
The Norfolk hideaway is on PlusNet, which was the cheapest option on a BT line at the time. That's been OK, too. I've heard (and read) the complaints, but not had a hint of a problem.
So, my view - stay with BT for telephone, and pick an Entanet reseller. Not the cheapest way, but hassle-free.
[Edit: oh, and UKFSN gives a fixed IP address, which makes the VPN and other things a lot simpler.]